YongSuSan Restaurant Review

: Those who assume Korean cooking is all bold flavors of garlic, chilies and green onions served in a clamoring setting haven’t tried YongSuSan. The Los Angeles branch of this noted Seoul restaurant is a warren of sedate dining rooms with soothing silk wall coverings, elegant tablecloths and servers dressed in classic Korean style. The cooking explores the subtle flavors of Kaesong, just across the DMZ in North Korea. While it’s possible to order à la carte, one of the table d’hôte menus will let you sample up to 18 dishes. Standouts include glassy noodles of mung bean tossed with julienned beef and vegetables, skewered sea scallops with vegetables, steamed abalone with wood ear mushrooms, steamed pork and barbecue dishes including commendably tender kalbi (short ribs) prepared grilled or braised. Bossam kimchi is fittingly festive, presented in a head of cabbage split open like a lotus blossom. There’s a short menu of beer, wine, saké and soju, and whisky is also available.